Published: Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 11:06 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 11:06 a.m.

N.C. State Trooper Michael Brown announced Tuesday that he’s seeking the Republican nomination for sheriff of Henderson County. This is Brown’s second run for the position.

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Brown, who has 18 years of law enforcement experience, said he decided to run for sheriff after “much consideration and encouragement from his friends, family and community.” He also said he sees the race as an opportunity for county citizens to get some permanency in their sheriff.

“We have had five sheriffs in the last 10 years, including the current interim sheriff,” Brown said in a news release. “I want to bring a sense of security to our community and the men and women of the sheriff's department to improve morale within the department. I will be a proactive sheriff with an open door policy.”

This is Brown's second run for sheriff. In 2006, he finished third behind Rick Davis and Tim Griffin. Then-Sheriff Davis took a leave of absence from his position in 2011 due to a diagnosis of manic bipolar disorder.

After Davis took medical retirement in early 2012, Sheriff Charlie McDonald was selected as his replacement by the Henderson County Republican Party executive committee.

If elected, Brown pledged to “shelter employees of the (sheriff's) department from demotion or dismissal without due process,” reallocate personnel to increase the number of officers on patrol, reestablish a drug interdiction unit, put school resource officers back in middle schools and make drug and property crime “a top priority.”

Brown is the third generation in his family to serve Henderson County in law enforcement. A graduate of East Henderson High School, he earned a degree in criminal justice from Western Carolina University. He and his wife, Lynn, have three daughters: Erica, Jessie and newborn baby Jezreel Grace.

Anyone seeking more information about Brown's campaign can visit his Facebook page or ElectBrownSheriff.com.

<p>N.C. State Trooper Michael Brown announced Tuesday that he's seeking the Republican nomination for sheriff of Henderson County.</p><p>Brown, who has 18 years of law enforcement experience, said he decided to run for sheriff after “much consideration and encouragement from his friends, family and community.” He also said he sees the race as an opportunity for county citizens to get some permanency in their sheriff.</p><p>“We have had five sheriffs in the last 10 years, including the current interim sheriff,” Brown said in a news release. “I want to bring a sense of security to our community and the men and women of the sheriff's department to improve morale within the department. I will be a proactive sheriff with an open door policy.”</p><p>This is Brown's second run for sheriff. In 2006, he finished third behind Rick Davis and Tim Griffin. Then-Sheriff Davis took a leave of absence from his position in 2011 due to a diagnosis of manic bipolar disorder. </p><p>After Davis took medical retirement in early 2012, Sheriff Charlie McDonald was selected as his replacement by the Henderson County Republican Party executive committee.</p><p>If elected, Brown pledged to “shelter employees of the (sheriff's) department from demotion or dismissal without due process,” reallocate personnel to increase the number of officers on patrol, reestablish a drug interdiction unit, put school resource officers back in middle schools and make drug and property crime “a top priority.”</p><p>Brown is the third generation in his family to serve Henderson County in law enforcement. A graduate of East Henderson High School, he earned a degree in criminal justice from Western Carolina University. He and his wife, Lynn, have three daughters: Erica, Jessie and newborn baby Jezreel Grace.</p><p>Anyone seeking more information about Brown's campaign can visit his Facebook page or ElectBrownSheriff.com.</p>